Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator - BNSSG Sequoia

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health trust in the UK is seeking a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator to deliver DBT and MBT informed interventions. This role requires collaboration with NHS teams, a strong focus on service user support, and flexibility in working hours. The successful candidate will be responsible for facilitating group sessions, assessing referrals, and contributing to service development. Ongoing supervision and professional development opportunities are provided.

Benefits

Robust supervision and CPD opportunities

Flexible working hours

Opportunity to work from home

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in mental health, ideally at least Band 6 level.
• Experience in facilitating group therapy sessions.
• Ability to assess and plan intervention strategies.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate DBT and MBT informed groups for service users.
• Support the delivery of psychoeducation and peer support courses.
• Assess referrals and determine service user suitability.

Skills

Facilitation of DBT and MBT groups

Clinical leadership

Collaboration with NHS and community partners

Crisis planning and safeguarding

Flexible working

Education

Relevant professional qualification in mental health

Experience in group therapy

Job description

Job overview

Sequoia is a specialist NHS-commissioned service, co-delivered by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) and Rethink Mental Illness, supporting adults with mild-moderate complex emotional needs (CEN) and personality difficulties across the BNSSG area. Rooted in lived experience and recovery principles, the service provides evidence-based group interventions including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)-informed groups, Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT)-informed groups, psychoeducation courses, and peer support programmes.

As a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator, you will either deliver DBTi or MBTi groups, enabling service users to manage emotional intensity, build resilience, and achieve recovery goals. You will work collaboratively with NHS teams, voluntary and community partners, and service users to promote wellness, safety, and inclusion.

This role is offered at four days per week, with potential to increase to full-time (37.5 hours). Most service-user facing work runs 9:00am–5:00pm, though some evening sessions are required, so flexibility to work one evening weekly is essential.

Delivery blends in-person work across community bases in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire with online interventions, typically facilitated from home. Recognising the emotional impact of this work, we provide robust supervision (individual and team-based), ongoing CPD opportunities, and regular chances to connect socially with colleagues.

Main duties of the job

• Facilitate either DBT and MBT informed groups, adapting content to meet service user needs.
• Support delivery of psychoeducation and peer support courses.
• Assess referrals, determine service suitability, and plan reviews and next steps with service users.
• Support safe discharge back to GP care following programme completion.
• Contribute to crisis planning, safeguarding, and protective interventions.
• Provide clinical leadership, mentoring, and supervision within the team for our Rethink colleagues.
• Work as part of the duty team dealing with ad hoc situations that arise.
• Maintain accurate records and meet reporting requirements.
• Participate in service development, supervision, and training.